


Dropped

by amixii10, DaFishi



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Caring Gaang, Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Ozai (Avatar) Being a Terrible Parent, Past Abuse, hurt zuko, no real relationships, ozai sucks, poor Zuko
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-07
Updated: 2020-07-07
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:02:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25122100
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amixii10/pseuds/amixii10, https://archiveofourown.org/users/DaFishi/pseuds/DaFishi
Summary: Zuko is broken and abused by Ozai. He’s a afraid to make mistakes around the Gaang as he is afraid of gettin beat up. The Gaang comforts him.
Relationships: Zuko & The Gaang
Comments: 8
Kudos: 301





	Dropped

**Author's Note:**

  * For [raven96](https://archiveofourown.org/users/raven96/gifts).



> @raven96 wanted Zuko to be afraid of messing up and getting hurt. Gaang fluff!

Zuko drops their food in shock after a rock from Aang’s training comes a little too close to him. 

”Sorry, Zuko!” Aang and Toph call in unison. He nods back at them and scrambles to pick it all up, much unlike his usual demeanor. 

“I’m sorry- I’m so sorry, I won’t mess up again, I swear!” Katara raises an eyebrow at his antics before walking over to help him pick up the fallen vegetables. He looks back at her in surprise. 

“What?” she asks after he stares for a moment too long. He skitters to pick up the herbs again.

“Nothing, ” he says when she looks at him, prompting him to speak. She doesn't turn away, and he finally speaks after collecting them all in his arms. He adamantly avoids looking her in the eyes.

“I just… If I messed up in my fathers’ court, I would have to pay for it,” he says, looking away from her face. She feels close to him; this poor boy was manipulated and hurt, and didn't know any better than to act the way his father acted to him. 

Abuse left scars, mental and often times physical, and it took years to heal. The signs of abuse often weren’t as clear as one might think, but with Zuko, it was easy to tell. (At least, if the scar was anything to go by.) He needed someone to look after him- this boy needed a proper family. 

“Oh, Zuko, honey, ” she says, sympathy clear in her voice. He glances up at her. 

“You don’t have to worry about anything like that when you’re with us. If anyone hurts you again, then there will be hell for them to pay.” He looks away from her, continuing to walk. 

“Thank you.” His voice is oddly choked up, and he avoids her stare. 

Katara beams. “No problem, Zuko! You should know that now that you’re one of us, we’ll always have your back.” 

Sokka walks in behind them, after just having collected firewood for the night. He awkwardly shifts to try and walk in stride with them.

“What’re you guys talking about?” he asks, trying to balance his huge stack of wood. Katara takes some of it from him. 

“Zuko thinks that we’d hurt him if he messed up, since his dad did when he was younger, ” she says simply. Zuko sputters. 

“That’s not what I said!” 

“That’s what it sounded like to me.” 

“Well-!”

Sokka interrupts them. “Either way, we wouldn’t hurt him, and he won’t have to go back to his jerk of a dad when we’re done with him. Huh, he really is a jerkbender!” 

“Yeah! I’m totally gonna kick his butt!” Aang says, bounding up to them, having finished his training for the day. “Right, Toph?” 

Toph nods, following him. “That jerk won’t know what hit him! Twinkle Toes here has almost much mastered his earthbending, and if he messes up, then I'm here to whoop him!” 

Aang pouts. “You shouldn't doubt me like that! I could totally beat him now.” Toph shrugs. 

“Thanks, you guys. It means a lot, ” Zuko says, smiling. “You guys are great.” Katara and Sokka smile back at him, happy that he trusts them now. 

“No problem, Sparky! If you ever need someone to cheer you up, I'm the one you should go to!” Toph says, ruining the moment by punching Zuko. He winces and rubs his arm where she hit him affectionately. Sokka holds back his laughter for a moment, and erupts with Zuko’s response to her.

“ ...Thanks, Toph. I'll keep that in mind, ” Zuko says, voice forced. Aang laughs, soon followed by Sokka’s extremely contagious laughter, and soon the whole gang is in good spirits, and even closer than before.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and Kudos please!


End file.
